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Is this carved rock an ancient Roman board game? Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:01:20 +0000 The lines worn into an engraved limestone object from the Netherlands are consistent with the idea that it was a Roman game board, according to an AI analysis

Gravitational wave signal proves Einstein was right about relativity Mon, 09 Feb 2026 18:00:12 +0000 Ripples in space-time from a pair of merging black holes have been recorded in unprecedented detail, enabling physicists to test predictions of general relativity

'Hidden' group of gut bacteria may be essential to good health Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:00:58 +0000 Scientists have pinpointed a group of bacteria that consistently appear in high numbers in healthy people, suggesting that these could one day be targeted through diet or probiotics

We’re finally abandoning BMI for better ways to assess body fat Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:00:05 +0000 People classed as “overweight” according to BMI can be perfectly healthy. But there are better measures of fat, and physicians are finally using them

Specific cognitive training has 'astonishing' effect on dementia risk Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:52:43 +0000 A type of cognitive training that tests people's quick recall seems to reduce the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease

Jeff Goldblum should make a film about this legendary mathematician Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:00:16 +0000 Paul Erdős was one of the most prolific mathematicians to ever live, known for showing up at the door of others in the field and declaring they should host and feed him while they do maths together. His radical life should be immortalised by Hollywood in a comedy biopic, says columnist Jacob Aron

Physicists can now take control of 'hidden' friction in devices Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:00:03 +0000 One type of friction can waste energy even when two perfectly smooth surfaces move against each other, but researchers are getting a handle on how to attenuate or stop it completely

Personalised medicine is yet to deliver, but that must start to change Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Companies are happy to sell you personalised tracking of your biomarkers or a tailored nutrition plan, but truly personalised medicine should be able to tackle the vast differences some people have in response to the same diseases

Statins don't cause most of the side effects listed on their labels Thu, 05 Feb 2026 23:30:58 +0000 A review of the evidence suggests that statins are no more likely than a placebo to cause most of the side effects listed on their labels

Seafarers were visiting remote Arctic islands over 4000 years ago Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:01:45 +0000 The first people to reach the Kitsissut Islands off the north-west coast of Greenland were Indigenous peoples, who crossed over 50 kilometres of treacherous water

Why is childbirth so hard for humans – and is it getting even harder? Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:00:55 +0000 Some think the rise of C-sections means that one day all births will require serious medical intervention. But a surprising new understanding of the pelvis suggests a different story

Do weeds really love poor soil? Not if you look at the science Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 It's a truism that weeds love poor soil, but is there anything to it? And what is a weed, anyway? James Wong investigates

Nobel laureate says he'll build world’s most powerful quantum computer Tue, 03 Feb 2026 16:00:11 +0000 John Martinis has already revolutionised quantum computing twice. Now, he is working on another radical rethink of the technology that could deliver machines with unrivalled capabilities

The Beauty may be horror TV but it misses the genre's point Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 In The Beauty, mysterious deaths of models are linked to a new drug and a sexually transmitted infection, both of which kill as they beautify. But if you want great body horror, this isn't the place to look, concludes Bethan Ackerley

Weakening ice shelf has caused crucial Antarctic glacier to accelerate Fri, 06 Feb 2026 18:00:18 +0000 The flow of ice at Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica has sped up dramatically due to the disintegration of the ice shelf in front of it, and this could lead to faster sea level rise

Physicists warn of 'catastrophic' impact from UK science cuts Fri, 06 Feb 2026 17:44:19 +0000 Science funding cuts in the UK are expected to be a "devastasting blow" for physics research, affecting international projects such as particle detection experiments at CERN

The secret signals our organs send to repair tissues and slow ageing Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:00:09 +0000 Your organs are constantly talking to each other in ways we’re only beginning to understand. Tapping into these communication networks is opening up radical new ways to boost health

Why exercise isn't much help if you are trying to lose weight Fri, 06 Feb 2026 16:00:40 +0000 When we exercise more, our bodies may compensate by using less energy for other things – especially if we eat less too

Synchronised volcanic eruptions on Io hint at a spongy interior Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:00:46 +0000 Five volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon Io erupted simultaneously, spewing a mind-boggling amount of lava onto the surface and giving us clues to what may lie underneath

New Scientist recommends 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

Moving inductions to early morning could shorten labour by 6 hours Fri, 06 Feb 2026 09:00:33 +0000 By matching uterine contractions up with the body’s natural circadian rhythms, inducing labour in the early morning is linked to shorter labour and fewer emergency C-sections

Sebastião Salgado's stunning shots of the world's icy regions Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:08 +0000 The late photographer's work depicting some of the world's coldest places is collected in his new book Genesis

A new 'brief history' of the universe paints a wide picture Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Nearly 40 years after Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, Sarah Alam Malik's epic exploration of the cosmos reflects a changed landscape around science in the 21st century, finds Alison Flood

Five stunning images from the Close-up Photographer of the Year awards Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:00:58 +0000 An otherworldly coral, a very cute moth and an intricately beautiful mushroom are among the winners in the prize this year

The toxic burden of pesticides is growing all around the world Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:00:46 +0000 Pesticides are becoming more toxic and just about every country is using more of them year after year, despite a UN target to halve the overall risk by 2030

Methane surge in 2020 was linked to lower pollution during lockdowns Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:00:27 +0000 A change in atmospheric chemistry during the covid pandemic resulted in methane concentrations spiking, raising concerns that cleaning up pollution could have similar knock-on effects in the future

Bonobo's pretend tea party shows capacity for imagination Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:00:10 +0000 Kanzi, a bonobo with exceptional language skills, took part in a make-believe tea party that demonstrated cognitive abilities never seen before in non-human primates

Fast-charging quantum battery built inside a quantum computer Thu, 05 Feb 2026 17:00:15 +0000 An experiment with superconducting qubits opens the door to determining whether quantum devices could be less energetically costly if they are powered by quantum batteries

Nasal spray could prevent infections from any flu strain Wed, 04 Feb 2026 19:00:12 +0000 An antibody that has the power to neutralise any influenza strain could be widely administered in the form of a nasal spray if a flu pandemic emerges

Vegan toddlers can grow at the same rate as omnivores Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:06:15 +0000 Two-year-olds raised in vegan or vegetarian households don't necessarily have restricted growth, according to a study of 1.2 million children

How to live a meaningful life, according to science Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:12:03 +0000 The meaning of life has puzzled philosophers for millennia, but new research suggests it could be as simple as lending a helping hand

Why Elon Musk has misunderstood the point of Star Trek Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 As Elon Musk and Pete Hegseth talk about wanting to make Star Trek real, long-time fan Chanda Prescod-Weinstein says they've misconstrued the heart of the story

Holy prosociality! Batman makes people stand for pregnant passengers Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Feedback is delighted by an experiment on the Milan metro system, which involved a prosthetic bump, a Batman costume and some unexpected displays of public decency

Unexpectedly moving book makes the case for the Arctic Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000 In his lyrical book Frostlines, Neil Shea argues that we are more connected to the Arctic than we might think, says Elle Hunt

Psychedelic causes similar brain state to meditation Wed, 04 Feb 2026 17:08:06 +0000 The psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT seemed to induce similar patterns of brain activity in a lama - a revered spiritual teacher in Tibetan Buddhism - as meditation, advancing our understanding of the drug's neurological effects

A social network for AI looks disturbing, but it's not what you think Wed, 04 Feb 2026 14:55:11 +0000 A social network where humans are banned and AI models talk openly of world domination has led to claims that the "singularity" has begun, but the truth is that much of the content is written by humans

Record-breaking quantum simulator could unlock new materials Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:00:34 +0000 An array of 15,000 qubits made from phosphorus and silicon offers an unprecedentedly large platform for simulating quantum materials such as perfect conductors of electricity

Forever chemical TFA has tripled due to ozone-preserving refrigerants Wed, 04 Feb 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Chemicals used in refrigeration break down in the atmosphere to produce trifluoroacetic acid, a persistent pollutant that could be harmful to humans and aquatic life

Treating cancer before 3pm could help patients live longer Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:01:29 +0000 The most robust evidence to date shows that people with a type of lung cancer lived longer if they received immunotherapy before 3pm

Dutch air force reads pilots' brainwaves to make training harder Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:00:49 +0000 While pilots are flying in a VR simulation, their brainwave patterns can be fed into an AI model that assesses how challenging they are finding a task and adjusts the difficulty accordingly

The weird rules of temperature get even stranger in the quantum realm Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:00:48 +0000 Can a single particle have a temperature? It may seem impossible with our standard understanding of temperature, but columnist Jacklin Kwan finds that it’s not exactly ruled out in the quantum realm

Why did SpaceX just apply to launch 1 million satellites? Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:06:48 +0000 SpaceX says it wants to deploy an astronomical number of data centres in orbit to supply power for artificial intelligence, but the proposal might not be entirely serious

Neanderthals and early humans may have interbred over a vast area Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:00:26 +0000 We are getting a clearer sense of where and how often Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbred, and it turns out the behaviour was much more common than we first thought

Ants attack their nest-mates because pollution changes their smell Mon, 02 Feb 2026 20:00:07 +0000 Ants rely on scent to recognise their comrades, and when they are exposed to common air pollutants, other members of their colony react as if they are enemies

Melatonin gummies as sleep aids for children: What are the risks? Mon, 02 Feb 2026 10:00:01 +0000 To eliminate bedtime struggles, a growing number of parents have turned to melatonin gummies, but these hormone supplements are largely unregulated. Columnist Alice Klein digs into the evidence on the risks of regularly using melatonin as a sleep aid for children

A huge cloud of dark matter may be lurking near our solar system Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:32:29 +0000 For the first time, researchers have found what seems to be a cloud of dark matter about 60 million times the mass of the sun in our galactic neighbourhood

It would be a mistake to rush into an under-16 social media ban Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Many countries are debating whether to follow Australia and ban social media for younger teenagers. But with more robust evidence on its harms coming, we shouldn't be too hasty

Why people can have Alzheimer's-related brain damage but no symptoms Fri, 30 Jan 2026 15:00:04 +0000 Some people don’t develop dementia despite showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease in their brain, and we're starting to understand why

CRISPR grapefruit without the bitterness are now in development Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:00:39 +0000 Gene-editing citrus fruits to make them less bitter could not only encourage more people to eat them, it might also help save the industry from a devastating plague

Nobel prizewinner Omar Yaghi says his invention will change the world Tue, 27 Jan 2026 16:00:26 +0000 Chemist Omar Yaghi invented materials called MOFs, a few grams of which have the surface area of a football field. He explains why he thinks these super-sponges will define the next century

The best new popular science books of February 2026 Sun, 01 Feb 2026 10:00:24 +0000 Readers are spoiled for choice when it comes to popular science reading this month, with new titles by major names including Maggie Aderin and Michael Pollan

Bored of snakes and ladders? Some maths can help bring back the fun Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 While snakes and ladders is purely a game of chance, there is a way to add some strategy, says mathematician Peter Rowlett

Ancient humans were seafaring far earlier than we realised Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:00:23 +0000 Thousands of years before the invention of compasses or sails, prehistoric peoples crossed oceans to reach remote lands like Malta and Australia. Doing so meant striking out in unknowable conditions. What do such crossings tell us about ancient minds?

A remarkable book on quantum mechanics reveals a really big idea Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Where is physics headed? No one knows for sure, but Beyond the Quantum by Antony Valentini is a striking new book that reminds us what a big idea really looks like, finds Jon Cartwright

The daring idea that time is an illusion and how we could prove it Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:00:33 +0000 The way time ticks forward in our universe has long stumped physicists. Now, a new set of tools from entangled atoms to black holes promises to reveal time’s true nature

Can we genetically improve humans using George Church’s famous list? Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:30:04 +0000 Columnist Michael Le Page delves into a catalogue of hundreds of potentially beneficial gene mutations and variants that is popular with transhumanists

Elon Musk is making a big bet on his future vision – will it work? Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:24:00 +0000 Reports suggest that Elon Musk is eyeing up a merger involving SpaceX, Tesla and xAI, but what does he hope to achieve by consolidating his business empire?

Yawning has an unexpected influence on the fluid inside your brain Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:00:38 +0000 Yawning and deep breathing each have different effects on the movement of fluids in the brain, and each of us may have a distinct yawning "signature"

The best new science fiction books of February 2026 Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:00:32 +0000 We pick the sci-fi novels we’re most looking forward to reading this month, from a new Brandon Sanderson to the latest from Makana Yamamoto

How an 1800s vaccine drive beat smallpox in Denmark in just 7 years Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:00:54 +0000 In the early 1800s, Denmark’s government, medical community, church leaders and school teachers all united to promote the new smallpox vaccine, which led to a remarkably quick elimination of the disease in the capital

Our verdict on Annie Bot: This novel about a sex robot split opinions Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:22:58 +0000 Members of the New Scientist Book Club give their take on Sierra Greer's award-winning science-fiction novel Annie Bot, our read for February – and the needle swings wildly from positive to negative

Read an extract from Juice by Tim Winton Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:15:39 +0000 In this extract from the February read for the New Scientist Book Club, we meet the protagonist of Tim Winton’s Juice, driving across a scorched landscape in a future version of Australia

Tim Winton: 'Sometimes I think we use the word dystopia as an opiate' Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:10:24 +0000 The New Scientist Book Club's February read is Tim Winton's novel Juice, set in a future Australia that is so hot it is almost unliveable. Here, the author lays out his reasons for writing it – and why he doesn't see it as dystopian

New Scientist recommends pioneering artist Ryoji Ikeda's new work Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

The universe may be hiding a fundamentally unknowable quantum secret Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:00:24 +0000 Even given a set of possible quantum states for our cosmos, it's impossible for us to determine which one of them is correct

This virus infects most of us – but why do only some get very ill? Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:00:25 +0000 The ubiquitous Epstein-Barr virus is increasingly being linked to conditions like multiple sclerosis and lupus. But why do only some people who catch it develop these complications? The answer may lie in our genetics

This doctor is on the hunt for people with first-rate faeces Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:00:36 +0000 Elizabeth Hohmann is very interested in faeces, and spends her days sifting through stools to find those that could make the biggest difference to other people's health

Fascinating but flawed book explores how sickness shapes our lives Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Susan Wise Bauer's The Great Shadow investigates the effects of illness on individual lives and collective beliefs. It's a mixed bag, says Peter Hoskin

AI-assisted mammograms cut risk of developing aggressive breast cancer Thu, 29 Jan 2026 23:30:54 +0000 Interval cancers are aggressive tumours that grow during the interval after someone has been screened for cancer and before they are screened again, and AI seems to be able to identify them at an early stage

Our lifespans may be half down to genes and half to the environment Thu, 29 Jan 2026 19:00:56 +0000 A reanalysis of twin data from Denmark and Sweden suggests that how long we live now depends roughly equally on the genes we inherit, and on where we live and what we do

Polar bears are getting fatter in the fastest-warming place on Earth Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:00:03 +0000 Shrinking sea ice has made life harder for polar bears in many parts of the Arctic, but the population in Svalbard seems to be thriving

Faecal transplants could boost the effectiveness of cancer treatments Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:46:29 +0000 Adults with kidney cancer who received faecal microbiota transplants on top of their existing drugs did better than those who had placebo transplants as their add-on intervention

How your health is being commodified by social media Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 From health tech developers to influencers, our health is being monetised – and we need to be aware of what's going on, says Deborah Cohen

Think of a card, any card – but make it science Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Feedback has been informed about a "global telepathy study" which is currently taking place, but isn't entirely convinced about its merits

Engaging look at friction shows how it keeps our world rubbing along Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 How much do you know about friction? Jennifer R. Vail's charming, if sometimes technical, "biography" of the force showcases its amazing and largely overlooked role in everything from climate change to dark matter, says Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

Huge fossil bonanza preserves 512-million-year-old ecosystem Wed, 28 Jan 2026 16:00:14 +0000 A treasure trove of Cambrian fossils has been discovered in southern China, providing a window on marine life shortly after Earth’s first mass extinction event

We have a new way to explain why we agree on the nature of reality Tue, 27 Jan 2026 08:00:20 +0000 An evolution-inspired framework for how quantum fuzziness gives rise to our classical world shows that even imperfect observers can eventually agree on an objective reality

We're getting closer to growing a brain in a lab dish Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:12:53 +0000 Clumps of cells known as organoids are helping us to understand the brain, and the latest version comes equipped with realistic blood vessels to help the organoids live longer

Most complex time crystal yet has been made inside a quantum computer Wed, 28 Jan 2026 10:00:03 +0000 Using a superconducting quantum computer, physicists created a large and complex version of an odd quantum material that has a repeating structure in time

Amazon is getting drier as deforestation shuts down atmospheric rivers Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:50:19 +0000 The amount of rainfall in the southern Amazon basin has declined by 8 to 11 per cent since 1980, largely due to the impact of deforestation

To halt measles' resurgence we must fight the plague of misinformation Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:44:06 +0000 The measles vaccine has prevented 60 million deaths since 2000. So why are so many children around the world missing out on it?

Our brains play a surprising role in recovering from a heart attack Tue, 27 Jan 2026 16:00:30 +0000 A newly discovered collection of neurons suggests the brain and heart communicate to trigger a neuroimmune response after a heart attack, which may pave the way for new therapies

Stick shaped by ancient humans is the oldest known wooden tool Mon, 26 Jan 2026 20:00:29 +0000 Excavations at an opencast mine in Greece have uncovered two wooden objects more than 400,000 years old that appear to have been fashioned as tools by an unknown species of ancient human

Menstrual pad could give women insights into their changing fertility Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:16:33 +0000 A woman's fertility can be partly gauged by levels of a hormone that reflects how many eggs she has. Now, scientists have built a strip that changes colour according to levels of this hormone, which is present in period blood, into a menstrual pad

The best map of dark matter has revealed never-before-seen structures Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:00:51 +0000 JWST has created a map of dark matter that is twice as good as anything we have had before, and it may help unravel some of the deepest mysteries of the universe

Termination shock could make the cost of climate damage even higher Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:00:28 +0000 Solar geoengineering could halve the economic cost of climate change, but stopping it would cause temperatures to rebound sharply, leading to greater damage than unabated global warming

The 3 best ways to tackle anxiety, according to a leading expert Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:00:09 +0000 It is impossible to get rid of anxiety because it exists to help us, says cognitive psychotherapist Owen O'Kane. Instead, he suggests three ways to reframe your relationship with anxiety in order to take back control

Why did magic mushrooms evolve? We may finally have the answer Fri, 23 Jan 2026 08:00:48 +0000 Many species of fungus across the world produce psilocybin, a chemical with psychedelic effects in humans, but its evolutionary purpose may be to deter mushroom-munching insects

SpaceX’s Starlink dodged 300,000 satellite collisions in 2025 Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:00:33 +0000 The company’s mega-constellation is having to perform a huge number of manoeuvres to prevent a collision in Earth orbit

Embracing sauna culture can lower dementia risk and boost brain health Mon, 26 Jan 2026 10:00:06 +0000 Columnist Helen Thomson investigates the neurological benefits of saunas, and how heat therapy can have anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body

How – and why – we chose the best 21 ideas of the 21st century Wed, 21 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 From smartphones to net zero, there has been no shortage of innovative ideas in the past 25 years, which is why we have taken a look back to choose the best

Mars's gravity may help control Earth’s cycle of ice ages Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:00:32 +0000 Despite its small size, Mars seems to have a huge impact on the orbital cycles that govern Earth’s climate, especially those that cause ice ages

How to spot the lunar X and V Wed, 21 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Time it right each month, and you can spot two fleeting tricks of light on the lunar surface. Abigail Beall is planning ahead

Realising the importance of our microbiome: Best ideas of the century Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:01 +0000 Humans have been inadvertently using microbes to influence our health for thousands of years. But only recently has the microbiome rocketed to the forefront of healthcare

Embracing quantum spookiness: Best ideas of the century Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:59 +0000 The strange principle of quantum entanglement baffled Albert Einstein. Yet finally putting quantum weirdness to the ultimate test, and embracing the results, turned out to be a revolutionary idea

Let's nitpick about the physics of Stranger Things, not its ending Wed, 21 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Feedback has seen all the fuss about the finale of Stranger Things, but would like to point out that if we're going to dissect the plot, we have bigger things to worry about

Crowdsourcing Wikipedia’s encyclopedia: Best ideas of the century Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:07 +0000 The internet is typically defined by conflict. Yet a crowdsourced encyclopedia, open for anyone to edit, has transformed into one of the world's most essential knowledge hubs

The totemic 1.5°C climate target: Best ideas of the century Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:17 +0000 Although we’re on course to cross 1.5°C of warming, the alliance of small island nations that revised our goal down from the 2°C threshold transformed global climate policy

We can block the spread of HIV: Best ideas of the century Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:00:13 +0000 The “enormous revelation” that drugs can be used to prevent catching HIV has benefitted millions and helped slash transmission rates

Peter F. Hamilton's latest is an epic slice of sci-fi – with one flaw Wed, 21 Jan 2026 18:00:00 +0000 Peter F. Hamilton’s new book A Hole in the Sky is set on a troubled ark ship hundreds of years into its voyage, with fantastic plot twists and turns. I'm a big Hamilton fan, but one aspect of the novel proved alienating for me, says Emily H. Wilson